Nectarine tree, &#34;Late Red Jim II&#34;

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct variety of nectarine tree which is somewhat remotely similar to the Red Jim nectarine tree (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 4,518) with which it is most closely related but from which it is distinguished in several respects including that of producing fruit which is mature for harvest and shipment later than the Red Jim nectarine tree, or approximately August 30 through September 20 in the San Joaquin Valley of California.

BACKGROUND OF THE NEW VARIETY

The present invention relates to a new and distinct variety of nectarinetree which will hereinafter be denominated varietally as "Late Red JimII", and more particularly to such a nectarine tree which produces fruitwhich is mature for commercial harvesting and shipment approximatelyAugust 30 through September 20 in the San Joaquin Valley of centralCalifornia, and which further is distinguished by producing a clingstonefruit, the flesh of which is very firm and crisp, and which hasnoteworthy shipping and handling characteristics.

The commercial demand for tree fruit is dependant not only upon thesize, color and flavor of the fruit, but as importantly the period ofripening thereof. Enormous effort has been directed toward thedevelopment of varieties which produce fruit of commercial quality whichripens early or late in the growing season when there are few or nocompeting varieties of fruit available for market.

In this regard, the "Red Jim" nectarine tree has been of significantcommercial success in that it produces fruit which, when mature, has ahigh coloration, maintains its attributes well in storage and isparticularly well suited for shipping. The fruit of the "Red Jim"matures in early August in the San Joaquin Valley of California with thefirst picking occurring on or about August 6 and the last picking on orabout August 27. It has long been recognized that it would be highlydesirable to have a variety of nectarine tree producing fruit havingmany of the same attributes as the "Red Jim" nectarine tree, butripening for harvest after the "Red Jim" nectarine tree so that themarket for such fruit could be met much later in the season.

ORIGIN AND ASEXUAL REPRODUCTION OF THE NEW VARIETY

The present variety of nectarine tree was discovered by the inventor inan orchard which is located near Hanford, in the San Joaquin Valley ofCalifornia. The new variety is a mutation of the "Red Jim" nectarinetree and was discovered by the inventor in 1985 in a 40 acre orchard of"Red Jim" nectarine trees of the inventor located adjacent to aresidence at 3635 9th Avenue near Hanford, Calif.

In 1987, 4 "Red Jim" nectarine trees were grafted to the new variety ina 10 acre orchard of "Red Jim" nectarine trees of the inventor adjacentto the orchard where the discovery of the new variety occurred. Thetrees have continuously been observed since such asexual reproductionand such observation has confirmed that the new variety is distinct fromthe "Red Jim" nectarine tree in all of the respects hereinafter setforth.

SUMMARY OF THE NEW VARIETY

The "Late Red Jim II" nectarine tree of the present invention ischaracterized as to novelty by producing a clingstone fruit which hasvariable amounts of orange-red to dark cherry red color. Further thefruit produced by the "Late Red Jim II" nectarine tree is ripe forcommercial harvesting and shipment approximately August 30 throughSeptember 20 in the San Joaquin Valley of central California. The newvariety is most closely similar to the "Red Jim" nectarine tree (U.S.Plant Pat. No. 4,518) from which it is believed it was derived as amutation, but from which it is distinguishable and characterizedprincipally as to novelty by producing fruit which are ripe for harvestand shipment approximately three weeks after the "Red Jim" nectarinetree and which further produces a clingstone fruit having noteworthyshipping and handling characteristics.

The new variety of the present invention additionally is distinguishablefrom the "Red Jim" nectarine tree in that while the fruit of the "RedJim" nectarine tree has a very noticeable suture stripe of a narrow bandof yellow skin coloration running the length of the ventral suture, thatof the instant variety possesses a suture taking on the coloration ofthe underlying ground color or blush color. The fruit of the new varietyalso exhibits a different intensity of red coloration than that of the"Red Jim" nectarine tree. Under similar cultural conditions, the fruitof the new variety exhibits a less intense red skin coloration, but agreater glossy fruit finish over that of the "Red Jim" nectarine tree.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The accompanying drawing is a color photograph of three maturenectarines of the instant variety showing the form and colorationthereof; one mature nectarine sectioned with the stone left in place;one stone of the new variety with the fibers removed therefrom; andcharacteristic foliage of the new variety showing both the dorsal andventral surfaces of the leaves.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Referring more specifically to the pomological details of this new anddistinct variety of nectarine tree, the following has been observedunder the ecological conditions prevailing at the orchard of originwhich is located near Hanford in the San Joaquin Valley of centralCalifornia. All major color code designations are by reference to theDictionary of Color, by Maerz and Paul, Second Edition, 1950.

TREE

Generally:

Size.--Large.

Vigor.--Moderately vigorous. The tree is hardy as grown under typicalclimatic conditions in the San Joaquin Valley.

Figure.--Upright to upright spreading when trained in a vase shapedsystem.

Productivity.--Productive.

Regularity of bearing.--Regular.

Trunk:

Size.--Average diameter.

Surface texture.--Average with moderate amount of scarfskin present.

Bark color.--Grey-brown (15-C-7).

Lenticels.--Numbers -- numerous. Size -- large. Light brown (13-I-9)callous tissue surrounding the lenticel openings.

Branches:

Size.--Average.

Surface texture.--Average.

Color.--One year or older wood -- Brown (15-E-9). Immature shoots --Light green (19-J-5) tinged with red coloration on most exposedsurfaces.

LEAVES

Leaf measurements were taken from leaves growing on vigorous, upright,current season's shoots.

Size:

Generally.--Medium to large.

Average length.--17.5 cm including petiole.

Average width.--4.7 cm.

Form: Lanceolate, tip form acuminate and often curled downwardly andslightly twisted to one side.

Color:

Upwardly disposed surface.--Medium green (24-L-8).

Downwardly disposed surface.--Lighter grey-green (21-H-4).

Leaf vein.--Yellow (17-I-4).

Marginal form:

Generally.--Broadly crenate with wide and shallow crenations.

Leaf vein:

Thickness.--1.0 mm in mid leaf.

Leaf margin: Moderately undulate.

Petiole:

Length.--Medium, 10 to 12 mm.

Thickness.--1.5 to 2.0 mm.

Color.--Light yellow-green (18-J-4), more greenish along the petiolegroove.

Leaf glands:

Form.--Reniform with 3 to 6 glands present. Most frequently 2 to 3glands are present on the petiole just below the base of the leaf marginand an additional 2 to 3 glands are present on the lower leaf margin.

Position.--Alternate.

Color.--Shiny yellow (18-K-2) when young, darkening and deterioratingwith age.

Stipules: Two stipules are present on young terminal leaves but rapidlybecome deciduous. Stipules are small, 4 to 5 mm in length with serrateedges.

Color.--Yellow-green (18-J-5) when young, darkening with age.

FLOWERS

Bloom described from orchard of propagation near Hanford, Calif. Numberof chilling hours recorded in Reedley, Calif. during the 1988-1989season was 1390 hours. Thus, it was a relatively high chilling year.

Flower buds:

Size.--Medium and conic form. One to two buds present per mode, mostcommonly two.

Surface texture.--Heavily pubescent with bud scales greyish-brown(7-C-9).

Flowers:

Generally.--Average for large, showy type bloom.

Date of bloom: Mid season in comparison with the bloom of othercommercial nectarine cultivars. Full bloom March 11.

Size:

Generally.--38 to 42 mm in diameter when fully expanded.

Bloom quantity: Moderate.

Petals:

Color.--Pink (1-B-2), darkening to a light rose (1-F-3) basally. Short,truncate claw also colored rose (1-C-4) and becoming darker with age.

Size.--Large, 22 to 24 mm in length, 16 to 18 mm in width.

Form.--Somewhat variable, but most commonly ovate. Petal marginsundulate, becoming very undulate over the petal apex.

Pedicel: Very short, averaging 1.5 mm in length and 1.5 to 2.0 mm inthickness. Pedicel color bright green (18-K-7).

Nectaries:

Color.--Bright orange (11-B-12) darkening and becoming somewhat dullwith age.

Anthers: Average in size for species.

Color.--Red-orange (4-J-11) dorsally and tan-buff (10-I-6) ventrally.

Pollen: Abundant.

Color.--Yellow (10-L-3).

Stamens:

Size.--Medium in length, averaging 16 to 18 mm. Slightly shorter thanthe pistil.

Color.--Light pink (1-C-1) when young darkening to rose-violet (1-E-4)with age.

Pistil:

Size.--Length 18 to 19 mm, including ovule. Glabrous.

Color.--Light green-yellow (18-J-4).

FRUIT

Maturity when described: Ripe for commercial harvesting and shipmentapproximately August 30 through September 20 near Hanford, Calif. Fruithangs well on tree for as much as a three week period.

Size:

Generally.--Uniform and large.

Average diameter in the axial plane.--84 mm.

Average diameter in the suture plane.--79 mm.

Average cheek diameter.--80 mm.

Form -- uniformity.--Uniform.

Form -- symmetry.--Usually slightly asymmetrical. Ovate in lateralaspect. Nearly round in apical aspect.

Suture -- generally.--A broad distinct groove from apex to base alongthe ventral surface. Suture somewhat narrower and folded together withinthe stem cavity.

Suture -- color.--In most cases the suture takes on the color of theunderlying blush or ground coloration of the surrounding fruit surface.There is no distinct suture color stripe. In some cases there is somedark red (6-K-10) striping along the ventral suture and on, or parallelto, the ventral suture where the suture is underlain with red blushcolor. The ventral suture is more distinct and depressed over the apicalshoulder area and next to the apex. The suture is also visible over theapical shoulder of the dorsal surface while being more distinct anddepressed near the apex.

Ventral surface.--Generally rounded and moderately lipped. Most oftenone side slightly more lipped and one fruit side slightly larger thanthe other.

Stem cavity -- generally.--Medium in size and moderately deep.

Stem cavity -- width.--Average 27 to 32 mm.

Stem cavity -- depth.--Average 18 to 20 mm.

Stem cavity -- length.--Average 29 to 34 mm.

Stem cavity -- shape.--Oval. On most fruit a branch indentation ispresent in the basal shoulders where the fruit was tightly attached tothe fruiting branch.

Stem -- size.--Short, from 12 to 14 mm in length. Moderately thick from4 to 5 mm in diameter.

Stem -- color.--Greenish-yellow (19-K-1) to light brown (12-H-5).

Base.--Rounded. Base angle variable with the base most commonly slightlyoblique to the fruit axis.

Apex.--Shape -- Variable, from rounded to slightly pointed.

Pistil point.--Pistil point usually oblique. Distinct depressions arepresent on each side of the apex on both the dorsal and the ventralsuture lines.

Skin:

Generally.--Average thickness with mild flavor. Tenacious to flesh atcommercial maturity. Glabrous. Bright glossy finish.

Tendency to crack.--None observed.

Color.--Variable amounts of blush color present from 30 to 90 percent,depending upon the fruit location on the tree and the amount of sunexposure. Color intensity variable from an orange-red (4-F-11) to a darkcherry red (7-L-10). Blush color usually overlain with dark red spottingand dappling (7-J-9). Moderate number of light colored dots present,expecially over apical shoulders.

Flesh:

Color.--At commercial maturity, flesh color is a yellow-amber (11-H-6)from the skin inward toward the pit.

Surface of pit cavity.--Dark red (7-J-9) with substantial amount ofslightly lighter red (6-K-9) coloration radiating out from the pitcavity into the surrounding flesh area.

Flavor.--Good, slightly acidic.

Aroma.--Slight.

Texture.--Firm and crisp at commercial maturity; flesh softens somewhatafter harvest.

Fibers.--Numerous short, light colored fibers with medium texture.

Ripening.--Evenly.

Eating quality.--Good.

Stone:

Attachment.--Clingstone, held tightly in fruit cavity.

Fibers.--Numerous and moderately short.

Size -- length.--Average 40 to 45 mm.

Size -- width.--Average 28 to 29 mm.

Size -- thickness.--Average 21 to 23 mm.

Form.--Generally -- obovate.

Color.--Dry -- brown (6-F-10), tinged with purple staining.

Apex.--Shape -- thin and acute.

Base.--Shape -- broadly truncate. Base angle variable but most oftenslightly oblique to stone axis.

Surface.--Coarsely grooved and pitted with high ridges, especially overthe apical shoulders apically.

Sides.--Generally -- variable, but most often unequal in size.

Hilum.--Large, oval. Margins of hilum surrounded by a raised, heavilygrooved and eroded collar.

Ventral edge.--Moderately broad with low wings converging apically.

Dorsal edge.--Moderately broad with a deep groove extending to only 8 to12 mm above the stone base. Several coarse ridges occur over the edge atmid-stone, converging basally. The apical shoulder of the dorsal edgeusually moderately eroded and at times is concave in this region of thestone.

Tendency to split.--No tendency observed.

Use: Fresh market late season nectarine for local market and alsosuitable for long distance shipping.

Keeping quality: Good.

Although the new variety of nectarine tree possesses the describedcharacteristics noted above as a result of the growing conditionsprevailing near Hanford, Calif. in the central part of the San JoaquinValley, it is to be understood that variations of the usual magnitudeand characteristics incident to changes in growing conditions,fertilization, pruning, pest control, irrigation and the like are to beexpected.

Having thus described and illustrated my new variety of nectarine tree,what I claim as new and desire to be secured by Plant Letters Patentis:
 1. A new and distinct variety of nectarine tree substantially asillustrated and described and which is somewhat remotely similar to theRed Jim nectarine tree (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 4,518) with which it is mostclosely similar but from which it is distinguished and characterizedprincipally as to novelty by producing fruit which is mature forcommercial harvest and shipment approximately August 30 throughSeptember 20 in the San Joaquin Valley of California and which furtherhas noteworthy shipping and handling characteristics.